Sunday, January 3, 2010

Christmas Eve traditions

For us, Christmas Eve traditions are strong, and possibly rare – as they revolve around the fact that Daddy is busy at work with four of the five Christmas Eve services our church has. We always open Christmas stockings on the morning of the 24th.

Our stockings are handmade – a project that I begun back in the days before children, as a tradition I made handmade quilted stockings for friends that got married. So, of course, when our brood began to grow, our children got their own as well. Theirs are a bit different, as they are stripe-quilted and ours are patchworked. Daddy leaves early afternoon and heads to church. The kids and I hang here together, make our New England Clam Chowder and dance to Christmas music :) This year, Uncle Bryan and Grandmom joined us for dinner and then we headed to church for the candlelight service. This service is one of my favorites of the year…the celebration of Christ’s birth is worthy of praise – and hearing the story woven into God’s amazing plan culminating in Christ’s gift on the cross – it’s always a great reminder of why Christmas IS, and WHO it is about.

Sidenote: Daddy rocks the Christmas Eve service with awesome music…this year, he opened with an incredible version of Ring the Bells, by Travis Cottrell. Chris’ gifts shine in these kinds of services; they centerpiece his giftings of arranging familiar songs in new and fresh ways…yet still singable and memorable.

After the service, Daddy has yet to stay on for one night service, so back to the house for cookies and more soup for the rest of us…and jammies, the Nativity story, and bed for the little people. Daddy arrives home after the little ones are all snug in their beds…and Mommy and Daddy catch the end of It’s A Wonderful Life while unwinding from the day.